Lovin' 'Em: Greek Beans

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Some of you may remember that I’m in love with Greek food. Any dish that remotely spanks of sunny Mediterranean skies, of olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, of grape leaves—and everything in-between—is my numero uno weakness. Greece is also the number one destination on my agenda when I have the opportunity to travel beyond these 48 contiguous states. Whenever I make it there, beware—I may not be coming home. Sunshine and island living … Greek food everyday? Sounds perfect to me. So whenever I have the opportunity to eat Greek, to make a Greek recipe, even just to read Greek cookbooks, peruse pictures of Greek food … I’m there.

That’s why I was especially thrilled to see plenty of Mediterranean-based recipes in my newest slow cooker cookbook, Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, by Robin Robertson. White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Terrine … Slow Stuffed Grape Leaves … Tuscan White Bean and Escarole Soup … Mediterranean Vegetable Stew … Greek Big Beans … Provencal Green Beans …

Is this short list making you hungry yet? And I haven’t even begun trying the desserts yet: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Dream Cake … Ginger-Pineapple Bread Pudding … Bourbon-Spiced Pumpkin Bread Pudding … Chocolate Fantasy Fondue …

Anyway, I recently found two 15-oz. cans of butter beans at a local discount store. What better chance to try that Greek Big Beans recipe, eh? It’s not often that I find Greek specialties here (living deep in PA Dutch and Amish country), but it does happen. Once hubby found peppers stuffed with mizithra cheese. Once he found Mediterranean pickles with garlic. Once I found some jars of grape leaves for only 50 cents a pop (remember those slow cooked Stuffed Grape Leaves from a couple weeks ago?)

Mediterranean food finds at discount stores can be few and far between. So if I happen across some recipes that utilize standard foods and can help turn them into Mediterranean specialties, that’s a winner in my book. Start with fresh, frozen or canned large lima beans, add garlic and tomatoes, and cook long and slow. This Greek Big Beans recipe sounded like a fast and easy one for a dinner side dish. It was inspired Robin Robertson’s niece’s recent trip to Greece—she came home and shared this recipe after a trip there. Robertson adapted it to use with the slow cooker (gotta love it!).

I didn’t have fresh parsley on hand (so I used dry), and I used some pre-chopped garlic (gotta love being able to scoop it out directly from the jar), but other than that the recipe is pretty much the same as it appears in the cookbook. It makes the house smell wonderful and it goes well with just about any main dish – of course, stuffed grape leaves, salad with feta cheese, and black olives (perhaps even a Gyro?!) would definitely be a winning combo. I had it prepped and into the crockpot in only 5 minutes.

Even if we can’t get to Greece (yet!), here’s a sublime way to bring the taste of the Greek Isles into your kitchen.

Serves/Makes: 6

• 1/4 cup olive oil (light)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 cans (15 ounce size) butter beans, drained
• 1 can (28 ounce size) diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley